How effective and efficient are social programs on food and nutritional security?

Abstract

The analysis of the impact assessment of social programs allows to identify whether they fulfil the established objectives and evidencing the weaknesses to be strengthened in future actions, and modify or propose new intervention strategies. In Peru, the substantial economic progress since the 90s decade promoted dramatical investments in the social sector, especially on children well-being, as around 30% of the total Peru population are children under the age of 15, being the age group most affected by poverty in the country. This review was aimed to present an overview of the current situation of social programs in Peru in terms of food (and nutritional) security (FS), emphasizing on the institutional framework and the impact of the social programs implemented by the Government, as well as some social programs implemented by nongovernmental organizations. To this end, information available on the world wide web, including peer-reviewed papers on databases (mainly SciELO and LiLACs for their relevance for the Latin American region) regarding FS in Peru from 1989 onwards, and information published by the Peruvian official organisms directly involved in FS, was used. Studies addressing at least four of the seven points of the food and nutritional security in Peru analyzed in this paper (access, availability, consumption, biological use, stability, current situation, and institutionality) were considered. It was concluded that investment and resources should be used to improve social programs strategies designed according to the reality of each focused area, as in Peru, the achievements show an enormous potential for replicability of the interventions. Children must be prioritized through child-sensitive programs, instead of considering them just as indicators and investments for the future-especially in rural areas whipped by the past internal conflicts-in order to contribute to the sustainable development of the country and assuring FS. K E Y W O R D Schronic malnutrition, food security, impact assessment, Peru (Source: DeCS BIREME), social programs

Use of Formal and Informal Food Resources by Food Insecure Families in Lima, Peru: A Mixed-Methods Analysis

“…It is important that FAPs provide food that is both nutritious and fitting of beneficiaries' tastes and preferences. Research has found that some foods provided by FAPs in Peru are nutritionally insufficient [20,[42][43][44][45] and simultaneously high in carbohydrates, sugars, and saturated fat, [42,43] but research on beneficiaries' perceptions of these foods is more limited [45,46]. Additionally, there were particular concerns with Vaso de Leche about respondents being considered ineligible or not allowed to sign up for other reasons.…”

Cardiovascular Disease in the Peruvian Highlands: Local Perceptions, Barriers, and Paths to Preventing Chronic Diseases in Andean Adults

“…While there are existing programmes providing food to children and pregnant women in these areas, including Vaso de Leche and Qaliwarma , adults without children are notably excluded. As main programme targets, women have to comply with regular maternal and children health checkups and ensure children’s school attendance [14], making them central stakeholders for such programmes and a regular point of contact with the health system. Women are the key health information channels into the family.…”

“…We suggest that additional studies are conducted in close collaboration with Andean women to design nutritional interventions that can improve health and wellbeing at all life stages and are appropriate for this unique context. There are existing governemntal programmes such as Haku Wiñay (“My enterprising farm” in Quechua language), which support the raising and trading of domestic animals and entrepreneurship in small-scale agriculture[14]. Is it possible to expand these programmes to support women in small-scale subsistence activities that can provide healthy foods that can dually reduce CVD risk in adults and undernutrition in children?…”

“…Farming and livestock are the principal source of income [13]. Several governmental programmes are active in the area, including the nutritional interventions “ Vaso de leche ” (for pregnant women and children under 6-years-old) and “ Qaliwarma ” (for school age children), and two conditional cash transfer programmes, “ Juntos ” (for pregnant women and families with children under 15 years old), and “ Pension 65 ” (for adults over 65 years old that live in extreme poverty) [14]. Different ministries, including the Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Economy and Finance, implement these programmes [14].…”

Evaluation of Peruvian Government Interventions to Reduce Childhood Anemia

“…In response to this public health problem, the Peruvian government has enacted several interventions to improve anemia outcomes nationally. In 2017, 3 Supreme Decrees, 3 Ministerial Resolutions and 2 Executive Resolutions were enacted at the national level, all pertaining to improvements on child and maternal nutrition and anemia prevention (Supplemental Table 2) [8,11]. Nationwide, there are 8 programs to prevent and decrease anemia, which include screening, surveillance and personalized treatment plans for anemic children 6-36 months, promotion of nutritionally dense foods at education centers, and a deworming program for children 2-17 years of age.…”